Target Completion Date: February 16, 2007 Structures
Currently, VDOT pavement engineers seek to better understand the stress/strain distribution in pavement under actual conditions and validate the pavement design model. Recent studies have shown that fiber-optic strain sensors provide some unique benefits over traditional strain measuring devices. Fiber-optic sensors are able to measure both static and dynamic loading, provide reliable measurements with little or no noise, display superior corrosion resistance, and are not susceptible to interference by ubiquitous background electromagnetic fields as current sensors are. These are all important features, which makes these sensors better suited for gathering strain data in pavements. Therefore, to accomplish the goal of understanding the load distribution across the different layers of a pavement, fiber-optic strain sensors will be designed for placement during pavement construction with minimal disruption to the construction processes. The results of this project will serve as the stepping-stone for future application of this technology in VDOT and provide a method for evaluating pavement designs.
Last updated: July 5, 2023